Sale 941 — The John F. Odeneal Collection of Superb Mint U.S. Stamps
Sale Date — Wednesday, 3 October, 2007
Category — 1912-23 Issues (Scott 485 to 519)
5c Carmine, Imperforate, Error (485). Single error in block of nine, all stamps Mint N.H., large margins, showing part of all sixteen adjoining stamps, brilliant colorEXTREMELY FINE GEM. A SUPERB MINT NEVER-HINGED BLOCK OF NINE CONTAINING THE SINGLE 5-CENT IMPERFORATE ERROR.
According to an article written by Charles Lathrop Pack in the June 1917 issue of The Philatelic Gazette, during the course of production of the normal 2c plate No. 7942, three positions were noted to be defective. The plate was returned to the siderographer, who burnished out the three positions and mistakenly re-entered them using a transfer roll for the 5c stamp. The Bureau was struggling to keep up with demand for printing at the time due to wartime pressures and preparations for the Liberty Loan bonds. The error passed unnoticed and the sheets were issued to the public. The first time the post office knew anything about the mistake was when a postmaster from a small town in Virginia sent a note to the Post Office Department asking them not to mix denominations in sheets because it made more work in keeping his accounts. Orders were sent out to all postmasters in early May ordering the return of these errors
The error is known Perf 10, Imperforate and Perf 11 (Scott 467, 485 and 505). The imperforate is by far the rarest of the three, as it was placed on sale in March 1917 (less than two months before the recall) and imperforates were not as widely distributed as the perforated stamps.
With 2000 P.F. certificate.
3c Violet, Ty. I, Coil (493). Mint N.H., brilliant color, almost perfectly centered, Extremely Fine
5c Blue (504). Mint N.H., intense shade and impression, wide and balanced margins, fresh and Extremely Fine, with 1996 P.F. and 2007 P.S.E. certificates (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $250.00)
5c Rose, Error (505). Single error in block of nine, error Mint N.H., side 2c stamps h.r., top right 2c stamp defective, the error is an Extremely Fine Gem (potentially a Superb 98)
6c Red Orange (506). Mint N.H., vibrant color as fresh as the day it was printed, wide margins, fresh and Extremely Fine, with 2007 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95; SMQ $330.00)
15c Gray (514). Mint N.H., pretty shade, wide and balanced margins, fresh and Extremely Fine
20c Light Ultramarine (515). Mint N.H., deep rich color on bright paper, choice centering with extra wide margins, Extremely Fine, with 1997 P.F. certificate for block of four
30c Orange Red (516). Mint N.H. with plate no. 6921 at top, vibrant color, beautiful centering with wide margins, some perf separations at top, Extremely Fine
50c Red Violet (517). Mint N.H., intense shade on post office-fresh paper, well-proportioned margins, Extremely Fine, a beautiful stamp
$1.00 Violet Brown (518). Mint N.H., deep rich color and proof-like impression, choice centering with well-balanced margins, fresh and Extremely Fine, a pretty stamp
2c Carmine (519). Mint N.H., brilliant color, choice centering for this difficult issue, faint indentation on back from pencil notation, Very Fine and choice, with 1982 P.F. certificate, Scott Retail as Mint N.H.